If Emrys discovering his powers after the disastrous fire, crossing to Fincayra, and proving himself beside Rhia and Shim lit you up, you’ll love following Taran as he stumbles from "Assistant Pig-Keeper" into real courage. In The Book of Three, Taran chases a runaway oracular pig, clashes with the Horned King, and learns—much like Emrys does when facing Stangmar—that bravery is forged by choices, not titles. The banter with Eilonwy and the mentorship of Gwydion echo the warm, character-first growth you enjoyed.

If the way Barron threads Celtic legend through Emrys’s battles with Rhita Gawr and the fate of the Galator grabbed you, The Dark Is Rising will feel like a secret door opening. On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton awakens as an Old One and must gather the Signs of Light under the guidance of Merriman Lyon (a figure with unmistakable Merlin echoes). The sense of older powers stirring—like the forces Emrys confronts on Fincayra—pervades every snowfall and standing stone.

If journeying through Fincayra—meeting bards like Cairpre, wandering ruined halls, and sensing magic in the land itself—enchanted you, The Naming offers that same vast, wind-in-your-cloak sweep. Maerad, discovered by the bard Cadvan, crosses the realms of Annar learning the deep Names that shape reality, much as Emrys learns to listen to the world’s magic rather than simply wield it. The lore, maps, and sung histories evoke the immersive wonder you loved beside Rhia and Shim.

If Emrys restoring blighted forests and honoring the wild heart of Fincayra—guided by Rhia’s forest wisdom—moved you, The Girl Who Drank the Moon resonates deeply. A baby accidentally enmagicked by moonlight grows up amid a swamp’s living magic, with the ancient monster-poet Glerk and the witch Xan tending a land sickened by sorrow—much like the corruption Emrys fights under Rhita Gawr’s shadow. It’s a tale of healing a community and its woods, as tender and green as Fincayra’s renewal.

If, even amid Emrys’s peril—dueling Stangmar’s darkness, outwitting Rhita Gawr’s reach—you loved the story’s bright, hopeful heartbeat (think Shim’s earnest bravery or Cairpre’s songs), Howl’s Moving Castle will charm you. Sophie’s curse, the fire demon Calcifer, and Howl’s chaotic roaming home bring real danger, yes, but also that same buoyant, mischievous wonder that makes victories feel like sunrise over Fincayra.